Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2006 9 Influence of vine water status (Terroir 2006) 9 Description of the effect of the practical management in the characterization of « terroir effect »

Description of the effect of the practical management in the characterization of « terroir effect »

Abstract

The characterization of « the soil effect » in vine growing is often limited to the description of the physical components of the terroir. Many works were done in this direction and corresponded to geological, pedological or agronomical approaches. However, if the physical environment influences the vine and its grapes, its effect becomes limited at the scale of exploitation. Thus, it could be important to consider how the viticulturist « translated » the potential. The object of this study is to assess the importance of the vine management in a study about the « terroir effect ». With a network of 14 plots representing 5 different soils, two approaches were carried out during the year 2005. An experimental approach with equivalent and controlled practices, and an approach where each winegrower applied a vine-management according to the type of wine that they wished to obtain. This experimentation had showed the influence of precocity and vigour, in interaction with the water status, in the characterization of the potentials. It had also highlighted a « unforeseeable » dimension in the construction of the product. This study had showed the importance for the characterization of « the terroir effect » to consider the vine management carried out by the viticulturists in a system in motion. Finally the limits of a physical and agronomic approach was discussed.

DOI:

Publication date: January 12, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Nicolas BOTTOIS, Yves CADOT and Gérard BARBEAU

Unité Vigne et Vin, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre de Recherches d’Angers,
42 rue Georges Morel, 49071 Beaucouzé Cedex, France

Contact the author

Keywords

vineyard terroir, Vitis vinifera, viticultural management, indicators of state of the vineyard

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Multidisciplinary assessment of selective harvesting in the Colli Piacentini wine district

Within-field variability can be managed through Precision Viticulture (PV) protocols aiming at identifying homogeneous zones and addressing site-specific operations including selective harvesting (SH). Several authors demonstrated SH profitability in extensive viticulture while few information is available within the Italian context.

Quantitative assessment of must composition using benchtop NMR spectroscopy: comparative evaluation with FTIR and validation by reference

The foundation of wine production lies in the use of high-quality grapes. To produce wines that meet the highest standards, a fast and reliable analytical assessment of grape quality is essential. Many wineries currently employ Fourier-Transform Middle-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for this purpose.

“Vinhos de mesa” et oenophilie : quand les caractéristiques organoleptiques des cépages américains empêchent l’intégration des consommateurs à l’univers de l’appréciation esthétique

Au Brésil, 80 % du vignoble national et 90 % du vignoble de l’État du Rio Grande do Sul (principale région productrice de vins dans le pays) sont plantés avec des cépages issus de vitis labrusca ou de cépages hybrides (DEBASTIANI, 2015). Une partie de cette production est utilisée pour la préparation de jus de raisin et de concentrés de moût ou de pulpe de raisin. Le restant est consacré à

Concorrenza, qualità, zonazione. Una valutazione economica della relazione tra politiche, regole e strumenti di gestione dei prodotti del territorio

In questa nota viene analizzata l’importanza della conoscenza del territorio nel funzionamento del mercato dei prodotti alimentari di qualità e nella gestione delle denominazioni di origine.
La denominazione di origine si sta affermando in tutti i mercati alimentari, dopo l’esperienza secolare maturata nel mercato del vino. Iniziative nel campo del turismo, delle produzioni ecologiche, della promozione dello sviluppo, sono collegate alla dimensione territoriale, in risposta ad un generale orientamento della domanda.

Aromatic maturity is a cornerstone of terroir expression in red wine

Harvesting grapes at adequate maturity is key to the production of high-quality red wines. Enologists and wine makers define several types of maturity, including technical maturity, phenolic maturity and aromatic maturity. Technical maturity and phenolic maturity are relatively well documented in the scientific literature, while articles on aromatic maturity are scarcer. This is surprising, because aromatic maturity is, without a doubt, the most important of the three in determining wine quality and typicity (including terroir expression). Optimal terroir expression can be obtained when the different types of maturity are reached at the same time, or within a short time frame. This is more likely to occur when the ripening takes place under mild temperatures, neither too cool, nor too hot. Aromatic expression in wine can be driven, from low to high maturity, by green, herbal, fresh fruit, ripe fruit, jammy fruit, candied fruit or cooked fruit aromas. Green and cooked fruit aromas are not desirable in red wines, while the levels of other aromatic compounds contribute to the typicity of the wine in relation to its origin. Wines produced in cool climates, or on cool soils in temperate climates, are likely to express herbal or fresh fruit aromas; while wines produced under warm climates, or on warm soils in temperate climates, may express ripe fruit, jammy fruit or candied fruit aromas. Growers can optimize terroir expression through their choice of grapevine variety. Early ripening varieties perform better in cool climates and late ripening varieties in warm climates. Additionally, maturity can be advanced or delayed by different canopy management practices or training systems.